FBI Phishing Alert Issued As Scammers Use Real Permit Data To Solicit Fake Fees

It has only been a week since the National Consumers League shared its annual report detailing how phishing is one the most common forms of fraud reported by Americans, and now the FBI has issued a warning regarding a new phishing tactic. The agency says that criminals are leveraging publicly available information to fool victims into paying bogus fees.

This form of fraud targets individuals and businesses who have applied for land-use permits, which are usually made available to the public. Because the information is so readily available, it allows criminals to craft convincing e-mails using information such as case numbers and property information. This, paired with professional looking e-mails that contain language someone seeking a permit expects, makes it a serious threat.


Victims receive e-mails requesting payment for fees associated with these permits from criminals masquerading as officials from the city or county. Moreover, these e-mails contain payment instructions that include wire transfers, peer-to-peer payments, and cryptocurrency. To make the scam more convincing, e-mails contain PDFs with itemized statements that tell victims payments must be made through these forms of payment as a way of ensuring an auditable trail.

As with other scams, criminals try and impose a sense of urgency in an effort to induce panic in a potential target that will push them to send a payment quickly. In this case, threatening victims with “delays or other obstacles in the permitting process if the applicant does not immediately render payment.” Most people and organizations would want to avoid such slowdowns when it comes to getting a permit, making the fraudulent scare tactic particularly effective.

To reduce the chances of being victimized by this type of fraud the FBI has shared several tips. People shouldn’t assume an e-mail is authentic based on how professional it looks, place close attention to the e-mail address to ensure it matches an official government e-mail address, and check government websites for any notices about impersonation schemes. Additionally, it’s best practice to call the city or county government using the phone number listed on its official website to ensure the fees are legitimate.